GTA 6 could revitalize the beloved franchise with one simple change
GTA is in need of a new type of protagonist.
Grand Theft Auto 5 introduced some of the series' most memorable and absolutely deranged characters in the franchise's 23-year history. But even though Rockstar Games' latest installment of the open-world crime drama was praised for its innovative approach to interactive storytelling, it didn't address one of GTA's most glaring oversights: its problematic representation of women.
The series needs a female protagonist, and GTA 6 should be the game to finally star a woman in the lead role. GTA Online lets players create female characters to run around the multiplayer version of Los Santos, but featuring a woman as the main character would take the GTA franchise where it has never gone before all while addressing one of its biggest issues.
The series has a controversial past with the misogynistic portrayal of women, and the 2013 release of GTA 5 did nothing to address that. While the game garnered stellar reviews across the board, many reviewers noted that Rockstar’s supporting female characters were all based on sexist stereotypes that detracted from the game’s nuanced critique of 21st-century life. But now that GTA 6 is reportedly in early development, Rockstar could finally tackle this problem.
A woman as the protagonist of 'GTA 6' would take the series where it has never gone before.
GTA 6 could address this flaw headfirst with a female lead while also providing a narrative and gameplay experience that has never been seen in a GTA game before it. Rockstar could make its hypothetical protagonist a femme fatale that charms and ensnares her associates to extort her will. Every rumor we've heard about GTA 6's potential plot would make that style of lead work perfectly.
Unconfirmed details claim the game is going to let gamers play as an up-and-coming drug smuggler who expands their criminal enterprise across Vice City and parts of Latin America.
If this proves to be true, Rockstar could take inspiration from the real-life stories of drug lords like Griselda "Cocaine Godmother" Blanco and Enedina "La Jefa" Arellano Félix.
Unconfirmed 'GTA 6' leaks have even hinted at an upcoming female protagonist.
Making a woman the lead role of GTA 6 could also put players in scenarios and give them certain options that were never featured in past installments of the series.
A female character could shoot her way out of a confrontation just like Trevor from GTA 5, or she could probably take a sneakier approach to specific missions. She could go undercover in all sorts of roles that male characters wouldn't be able to. In fact, a female protagonist would give the player more options rather than fewer.
A GTA with a female lead might not even be that far-fetched.
A portion of past GTA 6 rumors also included mention of a character named "Kacey" that was described as a drug smuggler. While that alleged detail is still in the realm of speculation based on how far along GTA 6 is reported to be in development, there's hope that Rockstar could be looking to expand the scope of perspectives the GTA series delivers to its fans.
GTA 6 is reportedly in early development.
